Repair work will begin “immediately” at the beleaguered Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington DC, Donald Trump announced Sunday, suggesting the pool would “probably” need to be drained and pointing fingers at “vandals” for the mess. The pool, which underwent a hasty $14.2 million makeover ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations next month, has been plagued by algae blooms and peeling paint ever since.

Trump posted on Truth Social that he personally inspected the damage: “Work will begin immediately on fixing the seriously vandalized Reflecting Pool. I just inspected it, and could only say to myself, and those gathered around me, WOW, who would do such a thing?” He offered no specifics on who these vandals might be, though he claimed “many additional people have been arrested.” CBS News reporter Emma Nicholson tweeted that an administration official told her five people were arrested for vandalism, five more issued federal citations, and 14 police reports filed - including one related to an alleged 250-foot gash in the pool. Three-time Olympian David Hearn, apprehended after touching a peeling paint liner, told the Washington Post he was just checking how it felt.

US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro vowed to prosecute vandals fully, warning that adding algae-promoting products could bring stiffer charges. Meanwhile, National Park Service workers have been pouring hydrogen peroxide into the shallow pool, which hits 85°F in summer. Trump boasted that 75% of the algae was gone by Friday, when he first raised the vandalism claim and accused ABC’s Jonathan Karl of “trying to rip the rubber off.” ABC declined to comment.

Trump insisted the pool reflected better than ever after the renovation - better even than when it was built in 1922, though it leaked then. “Ours worked perfectly, including the mirror-like finish, perfectly reflecting the two Great Monuments, which it never had before!” He was referring to the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. He also mentioned earlier vandalism involving “8647” etched into the lawn - numeric slang for “86ing” Trump, the 47th president. The alleged pool damage, he said, “does not even include the earlier killing of a large amount of grass.”